Thomas Fox.

MY VILLAGE

Located some few miles away from the Atlantic ocean. Badagry was my village., having a calm serene environment with fresh breeze strolling down from the Atlantic ocean. Badagry is known for its high need and reediness of coconut. You see Badagry is well known for its high cultivation of coconut. Badagry is also opened to fishing, going down the Badagry river to get some fishes of different varieties. Some farmers even have their own personal fish pond.
Well known for its coconut trade which brought about many merchants from different cardinal points of the empire my village was situated in. The village also ventured into blacksmithing for providing farming tools and also weapons.
My village is also known for its varieties of occupation including farming no wonder our neighboring villages came around to learn one trade or the other.
A new day starts with the crow of the cock as every person rushes into his various activities and occupation. No one was left idol. The festivities periods were always fun 'from paying tributes to our tribes deities to river goddesses and many more. At the end we had our bellies filled with either 'Amala", Pounded yam with our edible "Ewedu soup".
The villages were filled with noisy music as they echoed the air with the talking drums.
Getting water was not an issue, for we had the Badagry river to provide it for us. But during the rainy seasons were not easy..'why ?. There was a probability that the Badagry river might overflow. But this we never thought. We villagers taught we might have offended the river goddess.., so we offered sacrifices. But with enlightenment we've seen it was just nature playing its parts.
My village was well disciplined. No child behaves in an ill mannered way.., just few who were stubborn behaved that way but they were disciplined 'flogged publicly was the punishment. I've seen two of this played in my presence as I saw children flogged for disrespecting their parents. You see there's a popular adage that says... "not only parents train up their children,.. but outsiders do also".. and this was true.
At dawn you would see the children as they rally round the older men and women of the village. Experienced people who have have "seen life" and its effects. This old people who are also looked upon as parents and as grandparents. We would be told stories that would struck our mind trying to abide moral norms in us. These stories were told to us in other for us to be better persons in the society.
A village which is known for having the backing of a well built army that protected them and other neighboring villages.
The village had also won wars fought but I never experienced them, cause I haven't been born then. You could hear such stories from the older and experienced ones of the village.
I've been told of the legends who founded the Yoruba empire. How they travelled from a different part of the world and found a home at the western part of the continent and built an empire.
The Yoruba empire were also proud of their military strength as they broke through many obstacles along their way so as to avoid hindrances on their quest for building an empire.